Bylaws

Black Faculty & Staff Association

The name of this organization is the Black Faculty and Staff Association of Cal State
San Marcos, hereinafter referred to as BFSA.

Article 2:Mission

The mission of BFSA is to address the needs of African Americans on campus, to serve
the African American community, and to promote the African American culture.

Article 3:Purpose

The purpose of these by-laws is to provide guidelines to promote and preserve the
objectives of BFSA. We encourage all members to take an active role in the organization
by volunteering for committee work, community involvement, and sharing of expertise.

Article 4:Membership

Membership to BFSA is not limited to African Americans only, but rather to “Cal State
San Marcos employees” who subscribe to the spirit and intent of the association’s
mission statement.

Membership in the association will not be denied to anyone on the basis of race, religion,
national origin, age, sex, disability, veteran’s status, or sexual orientation.

Article 5:Dues

The annual dues are $20.00 per fiscal year from July to June. Dues are to be paid
by September 1st.

Article 6:Friends of BFSA

Individuals from the university and community who subscribe to the spirit and intent
of the association’s mission statement, but do not wish to become voting members may
elect to be affiliated with BFSA. Such an individual may become a “Friends of BFSA”
by contributing $10.00 minimally per calendar year. A “Friend” is not eligible to
vote, but is welcome and invited to all BFSA meetings and sponsored events.

Article 7:Officers

Elected officers are the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These
officers and the standing committee chairs shall make up the Executive committee of
BFSA. The officers in collaboration with committee chairs shall propose a yearly calendar
(by October 1st of each year) of events, such as educational activities, political forums, and social
gatherings.

Article 8:President

The president is the chair of the organization and presides over BFSA meetings. The
president is charged with ensuring that a meeting agenda is set and that meetings
are called in a timely fashion. The president shall also ensure that the decision
of the BFSA membership is carried out. In addition, the president serves as the spokesperson
of the organization.

Article 9: Vice-President

The vice-president is the president-elect and presides over BFSA meetings in the absence
of the president. The vice-president is also the chair of the By-laws committee and
the Nominations/Elections committee.

Article 10:Secretary

The secretary shall maintain the minutes and proceedings of all meetings and shall
record all votes of the organization. Documentation shall be passed on to the new
officers at end of term.

Article 11:Treasurer

The treasurer shall receive and deposit all funds, maintain the financial records,
and keep proper account of funds. The treasurer shall be a member of the Fundraising
committee. Financial records shall be turned over to the new officers at the end of
the term.

Article 12:Terms of Office

Terms of officers shall be one fiscal year from July to June. But there is no limit
to how many times a person can be elected for officer position.

Article 13: Elections Procedures

Nominations for officers may be taken from the floor of BFSA meetings or by recommendation
of the Nominations/Elections committee. Nominees shall be BFSA dues paying members
only. Nominations shall take place two weeks prior to the scheduled election date.

Election ballots for executive board will get distributed via email by the Secretary
and sent back to the Secretary via email to be counted. Ballots shall be available
for a one week period prior to the scheduled election. Elections shall take place
no later than the 1st of May. Officers are elected by a simple majority (50%+1) of the votes cast.

Article 14Meetings

A regular Association meeting shall be held at least monthly (once a month) during
each academic term.

The time and the place of all regularly scheduled meetings shall be established annually
by resolution at the first meeting of the Association’s new leadership. The time
and the place of all committee meetings shall be established at the first meeting
of the committees themselves.

A simple majority (50% + 1) of the Association’s dues paying members shall constitute
a Quorum. A simple majority of the quorum (50% + 1) shall be necessary for action
on motions as raised by the Association.

Article 15 Committees

All members are strongly encouraged to volunteer for at least one committee. All committees
shall be composed of at least three members from the organization. Except for the
By-laws committee, all chairs shall be elected by the members of each committee. The
standing committees are: By-laws, Membership, Fundraising, University Recruitment,
Mentor and Retention Program, Recognition Ceremony, Scholarship, and Nominations/Elections.
Ad-hoc committees will be determined by the membership of BFSA as needed. Committee
Chairs will serve a two-year term and appointments will be staggered.

Article 16By-laws Committee

The By-laws committee reviews and recommends revisions of the by-laws to the membership
on a periodic basis. This committee shall also be responsible for the Association’s
affiliation process.

Article 17Membership Committee

The Membership committee maintains a roll of the current membership and serves to
recruit new members. The membership committee shall also ensure that representatives
are maintained on community and university organizations or committees of importance
to the BFSA mission. The representatives shall be volunteers from the general membership.

Article 18Fundraising Committee

The objective of the Fundraising committee is to actively seek contributions from
community patrons and plan activities that will generate funds for the organization.
The committee will be responsible for planning at least one fundraising activity per
semester (i.e. Soul Food Luncheon etc.)

Article 19University RecruitmentCommittee

The University Recruitment committee will work collaboratively with the African-American
Advisory Council (AAAC), the Offices of University Outreach and Recruitment, SSS/EOP
and the Enrollment Planning Administrative Advisory Group (EPAAG) to recruit African-American
students. The committee will research community events (i.e. Orientation tabling,
MLK Parade, jazz festivals, Juneteenth celebrations etc.) where African-Americans
gather in order to distribute university enrollment information.

Article 20Mentor & Retention Program Committee

The Mentor Program committee will work to increase African-American student retention
by linking African-American students with African-American faculty and staff mentors.
The primary focus of the program is to help students use her/his academic experience
more effectively to graduate and prepare for the work environment or an advanced degree.
The committee will organize meetings and outings for program participants and will
host an end-of-the-semester/year dinner to assess program effectiveness.

Article 21Recognition Ceremony Committee

The Recognition Ceremony committee will plan and implement the annual recognition
of graduating black students. The committee will plan all details for the event including
the program, catering needs, entertainment and gifts. The recognition ceremony will
take place on the first Thursday of May.

Article 22Scholarship Committee

The Scholarship committee determines the number, type, and criteria for BFSA scholarships.
The committee shall locate resources and determine the guidelines for awarding scholarships.
The chair of the scholarship committee shall be a member of the fundraising committee.

Article 23 Nominations/Elections Committee

The committee shall ensure that the nominations for BFSA officers will reflect the
diversified nature of the organization. The committee shall carry out the nominations
and elections procedures.

Article 24 Amendments

The by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of the BFSA membership. At least one
meeting of BFSA shall be devoted to a discussion of the by-laws. The Bylaws Committee
or at least 25% of the membership present is sufficient to open the by-laws for discussion
or amendment at the earliest possible meeting.

Article 25 Indemnity Clause

BFSA shall indemnify and hold harmless the state of California, the Trustees of the
California State University, the University, including California State University
San Marcos, their officers, employees, representatives and volunteers from and against
all claims, damages, losses and expenses including attorney fees arising out of the
activities described herein, caused in whole or in part by any negligent act or omission
of BFSA, any contractor, any subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed
by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable, except where caused
by the active negligence, or willful misconduct of California State University San
Marcos.